Disrupting device for mining-machines



H. A. KUHN.y

nIsRuPIING DEVICE FOR MINING MACHINES.

APFLlCATION FILED MAY 18| |914.

Patented N ov. 4, 1919.

\ WITNE .RK im Tn sTaTns TNT .HsinYA. KUHN, or rITTsBUnG-r, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISRU'TING DEVICE FOR MINING-MACHINES.

incassa.

Specification of Letters Iiatent.

Patented Nev. 4, 1919.

ppiiation sied im' is, 1914. serial No. ceases'.

rupting or loosening coal in its bed after it has been expanded along its lines of cleavpage, and is particularly adaptable for use in connection Vwith a method of mining coal,

Vset forth and claimed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States led f by me October 2l, 1913, Serial No. 796,497.

In that application the method therein set forth involves the making of a kerf in a solid wall of coal, shooting the coal so as to separate it along itsV lines of cleavage, and

ythen undermining and conveying away the coal. Y

The present invention relates to a device to be attached to the con'veyer chain such as is employed in connection with the machine for carrying outthe above described method, said chain being provided with a number of flights carrying cutters and moving over a pan by means of which the coal is conveyed by the flights back to the mineecar inthe rear. The device of the present invention consists of a; shoe whichV is attached to the flights, and which is adapted to pass while traveling over said pan into the mass of coal which has been separated along its lines of cleavage and which is adapted to disrupt the coal and destroy its adhesions, so that it is separated into lumps to be carried oft `by the conveying Vmechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine, such as above Y described, 'with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlargedview of a portion of the chain and chain frame with my invenl' which is mounted on traction wheels 2 which are driven by suitable mechanism and by it will not be necessary for me to describe the details ofthe machine except that pertain'- ing to the endlessu chain 3 which passes around the chain-frame and around a' rear sprocket-wheel 5 and the front sprocketwheels 6. The chain is adapted to be driven by suitable 'connections from a suitable motor 7.

Arranged at intervals on the chain 3 are the flights 8 which are adapted to move over the pan 9 and act to convey the coal along said pan to the pit-car which is arranged in the rear of the machine. The flights 8 have the arms 8a bearing against the chain frame thereby relieving the thrust on the flights, all as set forth and claimed in an application filed by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 839,836.

Some of the flights 8 are provided with the cutters 10 and others are provided with the shoe 1l. This shoe 11 is formed of steel or other suitable material, and has the inclined front portion 12. The shoe is connected to the flight arm by the bolts`13, and said bolts pass through the slots lil in said flights so that the shoe may be adjusted at different positions on said flights. As shown in the drawing, I prefer to stagger these shoes on the flights different distances from the outer ends thereof, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that they will act on different portions of the coal bed in passing through.

When the coal has been undercut and separated along its lilies of cleavage by shooting, the coal, will settle down into the undercut and as the flights pass into the coal as the machine is fed forward, the shoes 11 will burrow into the coal and will lift it in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, the coal dropping back again as the shoe passes to be picked up by the succeeding flights and carried along the pan 9 to the rear of the machine. The shoes being arranged on flights at intervals from each other, this raising and lowering effect on the coal due to the burr-owing of the shoes therein, while supported by said pan, will give a kind of undulating effect to the coal and act to destroy the vadhesions and separate the coal into lumps to be carried away by the con veyer. The shoe follows in' the path of the preceding flights and enters the space made thereby which permits the toe of the shoe to enter, the body of said shoe distorting the adjacent coal as it passes through and releasing adhesions between lumps.

What I olaiin is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pan, an endless chain operating over said pan, a flight secured to said chain, a: shoe secured to said Hight arranged to re-act against the floor of said pan, and to project a lifting force as it rests on said floor of said pan. Y

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of af frame, a pan on the outer edge of said fraine, an endless chain arranged to operate around said frame and over said pan, a flight carried by said chain and projecting outwardly in one'direction, a shoe carried by said flight, said shoe being beveled on its 'forward end and arranged to project beyond the forward edge'of said Hight.

In testimony whereof I the said HARRY A. KUHN, have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY A. KUHN. Witnesses:

JOHN F. WILL,` Ro'r D. TOTTEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. Y 

